growing up Archives

The Chosen, the novel by Chaim Potok, was first published in 1967, and has been a staple of middle-school reading lists ever since. It tells the story of two unlikely friends, Reuven and Danny,… who are growing up in Brooklyn during World War II and through the creation of the state of Israel. Reuven is the son of a Modern Orthodox academic; Danny is the son of a Hasidic rabbi. Reuven's father expects Reuven to be a professor but Reuven really wants to be a rabbi. Danny’s father expects… >> Read More

Television

What I Didn’t Get About ‘Sex and the City’

Haley Longman

Sex and the City, SATC, Pink watercolor background on a white paper

Ask any mom, new or experienced, and she’ll tell you a lot of things have changed since she had her children: her body, her sleep schedule, her marriage. But for me, motherhood has also changed how… I watch TV, and I don’t mean just the depressingly decreasing frequency at which I do it. Sex and the City — which celebrates its 20th anniversary today — is an entirely different show to me now than it was two decades ago. In 1998, when the series began, I was a pre-teen at a private… >> Read More

Dads

In The ‘Fake News’ Era, How Do You Talk To Kids About Facts?

Avram Mlotek

In the age of "alternative facts" and "fake news," my conversations with my 5-year-old have taken on a whole new cadence. “I don’t like green beans,” Ravi said. “That’s asparagus,”… I corrected. “Careful,” Yael, my partner, muttered, warning me under her breath. “Well, we can have different opinions, Tati,” Ravi sharply retorted. I know I’m entering a bit of a minefield so I tread mindfully. “Ravi, do you know what facts are?” I asked. “No.” At least she’s honest. “Facts,” I explained, “are what things… >> Read More

girls

When Your Kid Needs a Good Cry, Do This

Suzanne Hayes

The car is our place. Many of our most poignant family memories are set in my blue, messy, high-mileage Toyota Highlander — it is where the magic happens. While in transit, we’ve had seated dance… parties, lots of laughs, and our fair share of conflicts. In a way, my car has become our safe place; we all feel protected in our assigned seats, and something about the comfort of the car — sitting there, staring out the window — allows us to open up and be just a bit more… >> Read More

growing up

I Miss My Kids — And They’re Literally Right In Front of Me

Alina Adams

Senior mother and teenage daughter relaxing together on a pier

I expected my oldest son to move out of the house after he turned 18. But I expected him to go to college — not to Moldova. I expected him to be a car, a train, or a short airplane ride away,… coming home for major holidays, and maybe even some weekends (that laundry isn’t going to do itself!). I did not expect him to go for a 10-month immersive Russian-language program. No holidays, and definitely no weekends. His decision changed everything. Knowing that I wouldn’t see him from early September until late May really drove home… >> Read More

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